Rockland Shakespeare Company Presents 20th Season

Rockland Shakespeare Company Presents 20th SeasonShows begin July 7 and are free and open to the public

RAMAPO – Continuing a tradition spanning two decades, Rockland Community College this summer is once again the place for free performances of William Shakespeare’s plays. All are invited to enjoy the Rockland Shakespeare Company’s 20th anniversary season, running from Friday, July 7, through Sunday, July 23.

This year offers a mix of traditional Shakespeare with madcap comedy. The season features the classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the first play ever performed by the Rockland Shakespeare Company in 1998. “We immediately decided that we should produce Romeo and Juliet in celebration of the 20th season,” said Christopher Plummer, RSC co-director.

The other two shows scheduled this season will feature plenty of laughter. The company will present a gender-bending version of Shakespeare’s comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor, with women playing the male roles and vice versa. “For years, we have wanted to produce a predominantly female-cast production,” Plummer said. “We hope audiences love the result as much as we do.”

The third production is the irreverent The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), in which three actors attempt to perform all 37 of the Bard’s plays in 90 minutes, with hilarious results.

In a change from the past, this year’s performances will take place inside RCC’s Cultural Arts Theater instead of outdoors. A new outdoor performance space, the John and Joan Maloney Rockland Globe Stage, is in development. In the meantime, the RSC will experiment with seating in the Theater this summer, placing some audience members directly on the stage. All performances begin at 7 pm.

“We are thrilled to celebrate 20 incredible seasons,” Plummer said. “We have grown in so many ways.” He added that a production of an adapted version of Macbeth, initially planned for this summer, will now be staged in late October to continue the anniversary celebration.